


Outstretched Hand

by munarei



Category: Tales of Xillia, Tales of Xillia 2
Genre: I'm sorry I'm not sorry, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-21
Updated: 2014-06-21
Packaged: 2018-02-05 13:38:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1820332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/munarei/pseuds/munarei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He thought he had found his place in the world at last.  (MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR ToX2!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Outstretched Hand

**Author's Note:**

> “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” - Mark Twain
> 
> I had to get this out of my system, I'm sorry. Also I avoided tagged a certain thing because that's...kind of a spoiler in and of itself haha.
> 
> Thank you to Leronde on tumblr for helping me double check this!

Alvin thought that when death came for him, he’d gladly embrace it with open arms so that he could finally escape from that hell known as life.

 

But that had been years ago. Before he found a place where he belonged, where he could start to change for _real_ , cross his heart and hope to die.

 

Alvin wonders if he changed enough to keep that promise to himself.

 

The purple skies above him mock his every wish to will himself to get to his feet and there’s blood everywhere, _his_ blood.

 

It hurts like a bitch, but not as much as the sight that he’s forced to see.

 

Next to him, he can see Jude struggling to get to his feet again and he wants to stop him. There’s another part of him that just wants to knock him down and cover him so that he doesn’t get hurt because Jude _would_.

 

Alvin wills himself to his feet again but his injuries force him to the ground and all he can do is hiss in pain as the blood makes it hard to get to his feet. He catches glimpses of his friends and the sight burns into his eyes as he tightens his fists but unable to fight any further.

The thought of his friends dead makes him want to close his eyes and just fall asleep, hoping that it was a dream. But this was no dream.

 

Not when that kid, Ludger, was hell bent on protecting his older brother from becoming a part of the Soul Bridge that would lead to Canan.

 

The land of wishes, these alternate worlds…Alvin had no idea it would end up like _this_.

 

Even Jude falls to the ground and Ludger apparently satisfied, goes to his brother’s side. Jude is still alive though and Alvin wants nothing more than to get up and _fight_ but he can’t move.

 

His home, the one place where he thought he could belong is dying before him.

 

In the end, Alvin would be left alone.

 

Well. No. He’d probably die first.

 

It’s almost a comforting thought, if a tad morbid. Death would be a welcome respite in comparison to being alone _again_. In some ways, he could understand Ludger’s way of rationale. Once he had pointed his own gun at Jude in an attempt to go home, not realizing that his home, his place to belong to was right there in front of him.

 

Slowly he stretches his hand out to Jude as a pathetic attempt to comfort the boy. He did his best. He fought for as long as he could. Alvin saw that.

 

Jude lays still for a moment before those hazel eyes look up and match his wavering gaze. There are tears in Jude’s eyes, tears of probably a mixture of frustration and sadness knowing the kid as Alvin forces himself to move one last time (though not by much), reaching to pet Jude’s hair clumsily.

 

He doesn’t say anything, as it probably wouldn’t have made sense but his eyes tell the story. Whatever came next for this world, they wouldn’t have a say. What mattered though was that Jude fought to his very last breath and that much Alvin recognized.

 

Jude reaches up and takes the hand off of his head and squeezes it with both of his hands, confusing the older man. The young man closes his eyes and then tries to focus his mana into healing Alvin, if the spluttering green glow meant anything.

 

Alvin shakes his head rapidly, terror striking his core when Jude does so. “No,” he rasps, gripping Jude’s hands tightly. “Don’t waste your strength.”

 

He doesn’t want to admit that he’s being selfish, that he doesn’t _want_ to be alone again. Alvin doesn’t think he can bear it this time.

 

Jude stares at him with wide eyes before the tears start again and the young doctor just grips his hand tightly. “I’m sorry,” he says softly as Alvin snorts.

 

“Y’got nothing to apologize for, ki - Jude.”

 

_You gave me a place to belong to even after everything I put you through. Thank you._


End file.
